Justice Dept. Scrutinizes Transgender Prisoner Housing in California and Maine

The Justice Department is scrutinizing transgender prisoner housing policies in California and Maine, investigating how those states place transgender women in correctional facilities. The investigations represent the latest Trump administration effort to compel prisons to house transgender women alongside male inmates, a shift from Obama-era guidance that generally allowed transgender prisoners to be placed according to their gender identity. The move reflects the administration's broader rollback of transgender-related policies across federal agencies. Prison housing policies for transgender inmates have become a contentious issue, with advocates for transgender rights opposing placements with male prisoners due to safety concerns, while some officials argue current policies create security or operational problems. The outcome could reshape how state prison systems approach housing decisions for hundreds of transgender inmates.